Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi believes that a turning point in the war will come only when Ukraine’s Defence Forces are able to launch offensives along the main sections of the front and liberate around 20 kilometers per day.
“We continue to destroy them (the Russian troops). We eliminate several times more of them than we lose ourselves. In some sectors we have the advantage, and we are indeed conducting offensive operations successfully. But at the same time, this is clearly not enough to turn the tide. When we are advancing along the main sections of the front at a rate of 18–20 kilometers per day, then it will be possible to say with certainty that we have fundamentally changed the situation,” Syrskyi said in an interview with TSN.
He noted that Russia’s State Defence Order (SDO) program indicates that the Russian forces are not preparing to end the war.
“We should not forget that virtually all of their industry has been switched to a war footing. The enemy has an advantage and continues to increase the production of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, air-launched missiles of all types, and air defence missiles. It is also planning to expand the production of combat aircraft and helicopters. We know their State Defence Order for 2026, and it clearly shows they are preparing to continue the war. There are no signs that they have reduced production or are preparing for any other course of action or for peace,” the commander-in-chief said.
At the same time, Syrskyi said that thanks to Ukraine’s long-range strikes, Russian forces failed to reach their announced goal of producing 1,000 Shahed-type drones per day.
The commander-in-chief also suggested that Russia could declare a general mobilization, but only “as a last resort” and “probably after the elections.”
“This is one of the last cards they have up their sleeve. They cannot hide the reality of this war from Putin forever—the deoccupation of territories, the isolation of Crimea, the destruction of defence enterprises, and the slowdown and decline of offensive operations. They are concealing this from Putin, but they cannot do so indefinitely. Eventually, they will have to face reality. At that point, the choice will be either to enter negotiations or to escalate. We cannot think for the enemy, but we can create all the conditions that will force them to make such a decision. That is our task, the task of the Armed Forces—to destroy the enemy, liberate our territory, and do everything possible to ensure that our enemy makes exactly those decisions,” Syrskyi said.
